Berkeley Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory

The Berkeley Climate Action Plan targets a 33% greenhouse gas emissions reduction below 2000 levels by the year 2020 and an 80% reduction below 2000 levels by 2050. To ensure that we stay on course to meet these targets, the City is tracking community-wide emissions and other key metrics over time. Check out the Climate Action Plan Progress page to review a range of metrics designed to illustrate progress toward our goals.

One of the ways the City tracks community-wide greenhouse gas emissions is by conducting an inventory of emissions by source. It helps to think of an inventory as a snapshot of community emissions for a given year. This snapshot is a useful tool for policy makers and community members because it estimates the main sources of global warming emissions for which the community is responsible. Equipped with this knowledge, we can better target programs and services to address these sources.

The emissions inventory also reminds us that we are both part of the global warming problem and part of the solution. The emissions that the inventory captures are the result of our energy consumption in our homes, businesses, industries and institutions and in our cars. By driving less, creating more energy efficient buildings, shifting to renewable sources of energy and by committing as a community to take action, we can collectively start to turn the tide on climate change.